2014 Pirelli Calendar Rolls Back To 1986

Pirelli may be best known for the round, black things you put on your car, but the brand is also well-known for its annual Pirelli Calendar series.

Now in its 50th year, the 2014 Pirelli Calendar has gone a slightly different direction--by resurrecting an unused set of photographs from 1986. The shots, taken by late photographer Helmut Newton, have spent the last 28 years in Pirelli's archives, finally chosen to celebrate this year's milestone.

As The Telegraph reports, the shots were commissioned by Pirelli's Italian team, but a competing British commission from Bert Stern was eventually chosen for the calendar when Newton had to abandon his project half way through. The remaining shots were taken by Newton's assistants, Manuela Pavesi and Xavier Alloncle, to his precise specifications. Newton passed away in 2004.

Since then, the photographs have lain dormant--until now. Naturally, it's the female form that dominates the subject material--though there's plenty to admire from an automotive perspective too, with appearances from a Lamborghini Countach, a contemporary Grand Prix car, and more humble vehicles like the Alfa Romeo 75. The shots are nothing less than tasteful, and all were taken in Monte Carlo and Chianti. All also feature a Pirelli product somewhere within the frame--not always a requirement in more recent calendars.

As ever, you'd do well to get hold of the 2014 calendar--they're typically handed out as corporate gifts to celebrities and important Pirelli customers. But if you do, you'll be owning a piece of photographic and motoring history.